Mikron Automation Press Releases

Mikron Witnessing Year-on-Year Increase in Order Intake and Sales

According to provisional closing figures, the Mikron Group achieved a significant year-on-year increase in order intake and net sales in 2018, ending the year with sales growth of 26.8%.

Order intake also continued to develop positively and reached a record level of CHF362.3m. The Mikron Group began the new year with a record order backlog of CHF195.7m. Both business segments (Machining Solutions and Automation) contributed to driving the sales growth.

All Mikron Group operations profited from the fact that the market environment relevant to Mikron was generally stable in 2018. With Mikron customers’ production systems still running at high-capacity utilisation levels, demand for tools and services increased.

Order intake

In the 2018 financial year, the Mikron Group saw 29.9% year-on-year growth in incoming orders to CHF362.3m. Mikron Automation reported incoming orders of CHF200.9m in 2018, an increase of 59.4% compared with 2017.

Following solid order intake in the first half, the Automation segment won a number of large orders in the second half, some of which will generate sales into 2020. The Mikron Group is not expecting to attract the same volume of new large orders in 2019. The machining solutions segment recorded an increase in order intake from CHF152.9m in 2017 to CHF162.2m in 2018.

Net sales and order backlog

With annual sales of CHF315.2m, the Mikron Group exceeded the previous year’s result (CHF248.5m) by 26.8%. Mikron’s machining solutions lifted sales by 29.6% from CHF124.1m in 2017 to CHF160.8m in 2018, while the automation business segment posted 24.5% growth from CHF124.6m to 155.2m. The year-end order backlog is at a record CHF195.7m.

Profitability

Based on the provisional figures, Mikron is confirming its previous profitability expectations for the 2018 financial year. The group is anticipating earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin of more than 4%. Both business segments contributed to driving the improvement in profitability.

Net result

Given the improved operating results reported by subsidiaries, the Mikron Group expects to utilise and capitalise tax loss carryforwards and so reduce the tax rate in the 2018 financial year. On the basis of the provisional closing figures, the Mikron Group is looking to achieve a net result in the vicinity of CHF12m for 2018.

Mikron will announce the group’s detailed closing figures for 2018 at the Media and Analyst Conference in Zurich on 20 March, 2019.